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Hi guys! Im new here in this great community, but definitely not new to hairloss stuff. I already had a fair research with a help of this forum and users experiences, as part of my journey to my (soon) HT. I will tell my story in short. Im 30, and been suffer from hairloss for about 10 years. There are no words to describe how this has been effecting my life, Im pretty sure more than almost anybody else here. I always have been concern with my look to a level of obsession, and in some point I realized I have BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) , Started as a teenager, got in depression cause I didnt like my appearance. But with time I grew up nice and was very pleased, till hairloss kicked in. I can actually remember the very day it started lol, I noticed my temples receded a tiny bit, and got panicked immediately. and from that point, it was doomed. I became obssesed with my hairloss 24/7, it increased my overall bdd to a new levels. I immediately jump on meds, but they didnt stop it, dont know if they did anything but I just kept taking them. with the years hairloss kept advancing slow but steady - major temple recession, front hairline receded a bit, and thinning on top. I realize in some point that HT is my only option to get my hair back and actually get my life back, and did a research 2 years ago and consultation with both Bisanga and Lupanzula, which both were great, but I ended up deciding to postpone it for several reasons. And now it is the time for sure. So, to the point, I need your help and opinions on any matter here that can help me get the best that I can. I added pics below. My goal is to restore my hairline and temples - This is the most important for me, I have to have a good frame, and preferable good density in hairline and behind it. I want to lower a bit the hairline and even consider to reconstruct the temples points a bit. As about the procedure type - I thought Im going for FUE all the time, but after reading in this forum Im not so sure. I read alot of advantages for FUT - you can get more grafts from your donor, the yield is higher, and overall better chance for more quality results, is that true? Yes of course there is a scar, but first Im not going to shave my head never in my life. I do shave the back and sides closer than the top of course, but not on zero guard, so im not sure how much of a problem it will be. Also, the price is lower, which is a plus, but I want to say here that generally price is only second priority for me. Second, Im still not sure which doctor to choose. Im from middle east, and the best for me would be someone from Europe (I dont even consider turkey). currently in my list are Bisanga - great surgeon, care about his patients, I already had consultation with him in the past and I got very good impression. but he specialize mainly on FUE, and if I decided on FUT I guess there are better options? Also, is his type of work considered dense packing? Im not sure. I would love to get good density in the front. De Freitas - which has amazing results, but im not sure about waiting list, does someone here knows what to expect? and also, I heard that communication is problematic since he speaks spanish. I dont know, but it seems like an issue to me. Feriduni - great doctor as well. but most of his cases look too conservative to me. and he is also specialize on FUE (?) what you think? Dr.Maras from HDC, cyprus - He is a great, reputable surgeon, with great results. And although he is recommended doctor here, I dont see many posts about him, or even mentions, when people here talk about the best doctors. I wonder why is that, wouldnt you consider him in the same level as the other top tier doctors in this list? Im not sure about his specialty in FUT though. But the good thing is his clinic very close to me, and actually has representation in my country. Hattingen - I heard about this clinic here, and saw some good results posted by them, but not alot of patient results. I do read many opinions of people praising this clinic, but I really cant tell I guess... The rest of the options are in US/Canada. I mean, I really hate flights, and long flights to canada or US seem like nightmare for me. Im not afraid of flights, Im just kind of big guy and it's really uncomfortable for me to sit there for so many hours. But since I cant compromise on the outcome even a bit, I guess I would have to take them into account as well. in my list: Dr Hasson from H&W - I read so many great things about Hasson. Looked for lots of patients posted results. not one negative review, and almost all are amazing, and also lots of cases similar to mine, with outcome I would kill for. I think he is actually number one for me in the list, since he does great FUT as well as FUE. The only problem is the distance about 13 hours flight. What do you think? would you fly so far for this? it really bothers me... and what if, god forbids, I will need a touch up or something? those flights can be very inconvenient. Im not even talking about frontal consultation, which Im not sure if they require it before the procedure. Dr.Konior - also great doctor as I read hear and some other places, but I really know less about him than the others. Im still in the research phase so I will get some more knowledge on those doctors and other that come up. This list is not closed at all, I would be happy to hear any (honest) opinion or suggestion. I would appreciate any response, and you can be sure that I will share with you my experience, when it happen, hopefully soon. Pics attached look really bad when it is not styled and combed... but I need to show them. -
Ray Konior, MD – 763 FUE (Crown)
Tao replied to 1978matt's topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
I did have FUE this time after two previous FUTs. Recovery this time was a snap but this is the first time I had to be shaved. I'm happy I took the long HT route because I hate the shaved head look with my lumpy pate. And yes, when I started this, I was really really bald. Definitely a NW 5. I think Dr. Konior took me on and got me in after only a few months this time because he wanted to finish the challenge. I'm lucky. He's a special talent. You're lucky too. -
Ray Konior, MD – 763 FUE (Crown)
Tao replied to 1978matt's topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
Looking Good! I'm jealous of all the rest of your hair right now. I'm approaching the 1 month mark from my 1600 graft procedure with Dr. Konior. I loved how quickly it was to recover after surgery and Dr. Konior's work is ridiculously clean so I had almost no redness or scarring in the donor and recipient areas. However, it was painful (mentally) as hell to have to have my head shaved as my hair looked pretty damn good before surgery and the growing back stage is taking a long time. The only good thing about this horrible pandemic is that I don't have to go to work looking this bad. Totally temporary though and in a few months, I'll be happy hair-wise. Happy growing. -
Hey guys, I wanted to share my journey as it was this site that gave me a lot of great insight into picking out Dr. Konior along with seeing results and answering all of my questions. This procedure was done in early October and I've posted my Pre op photo, immediate Post op and also one month update. I'm more than happy to answer questions and hopefully I can be a resource to those who are thinking about having the surgery. Dr. Konior and team are extremely transparent and diligent from start to finish. Don't let the waiting list scare you off, it's absolutely worth the wait. Here's the breakdown of grafts 1 -214 2-1066 3-744 -
Previous thread on first procedure with Dr. K with sole goal to rebuild the frontal zone: Second procedure on January 23, 2019, approx 1200 grafts: -400 in the front to lower hairline and address left temporal recession -200 feathered behind and through mid scalp -600 on crown which were multiple hair grafts. Doc spent a lot of time this time around laying out the days plan, drew a lot of lines and took a lot of photos since we were 'refining' and not 'rebuilding' the front - eventually came up with the idea of a subtle widows peak to address my desire to lower the hairline + address left temporal recession with minimal graft usage. Needless to say, I was thrilled with the plan, it looks absolutely fantastic in the mirror, and now my fingers are crossed for good health and growth moving forward. Fully expect there will be a 3rd procedure down the road given my extensive crown loss (see prior thread), although everyone at the clinic seemed more optimistic and to said give it time. I am postop day 5 here are some pics- as expected the work is clean, negligible discomfort if any, minimal redness and i have been out and about doing stuff- pretty much nobody would really be able to tell at a quick glance that I just had a surgical procedure, except for the fading marker lines on my head! -
Just had my third surgery with Dr. Konior on Monday, March 9. My first two go arounds were FUT (in 2009 and 2010) but his time I did FUE. Really had no choice because my scalp is tight after the two FUTs. I won't get pics from Dr. Konior for a bit as he's understandably busy but when I do get them, I'll update my blog/website. I have gone from being pretty much nearly bald when I started all this to pretty much having a full head of hair, thanks to Dr. Konior's amazing skill. When I first started all this, I was pretty uninformed about the hair transplant industry and the multitude of things to consider when thinking about a hair transplant. I fortunately found this site, which is loaded with extremely helpful information and people who offer genuine and well-informed advice. Thank you all for that! And thank you moderators for the great job you do and service you provide to people who are concerned/stressed/depressed/desperate/curious about their hair loss and their options. My first procedure restored a non-existent hairline with 2800 FUT grafts. That was a surreal experience as I couldn't really believe I was going to do this HT thing. To be honest, it seemed like a pretty dicey snake oil industry to me. But I was kinda desperate and I read a ton on this site - enough to convince me to give it a try. I was pretty damn poor to be honest so it was a heavy lift to finance my first HT, especially since I found out it was going to cost roughly twice what I originally figured (and that original figure seemed kinda outta reach at first). I'm glad I didn't let money force me to make a poor decision. I scrimped and saved and used a 0% credit card to get it done. I ended up choosing Dr. Konior because he was recommended on this site and he was fortunately, the closest recommended doctor to where i live. Man did I get lucky! The FUT procedure was frankly a bit jarring as you get heavily sedated, your head gets sliced up like a pumpkin and you get these big silver Frankenstein staples put in your head that had to stay in for about two weeks. And my head was numb and sore for several months which was a bit concerning. However, Dr. Konior's work was exceptionally clean and I was back at work in less than two weeks with no one knowing anything. I kinda forgot about it but four months later, my new hair started coming in like gangbusters and I was getting all kinds of confused comments (your new hairstyle is nice, did you change your wardrobe?, etc). The framing of my face made a huge positive difference. Well, I was pretty much hooked after that as i learned that in the right hands, an amazing HT was possible. About a year later, I went on for a second FUT pass with Dr. Konior to cover up my crown and shore up my hairline. That one yielded 2400 grafts and when it was all said and done, I had pretty mucb restored all my hair (not really as it is somewhat of an illusion but I have thick hair and it's a good and effective illusion). When I had this second procedure, Dr. Konior didn't shave my head, instead working around the existing hair (he charges more for this now but didn't back then). I was back at work in a week with no one being able to tell I had anything done. Dr. K's work is immaculate and my existing hair covered the staples. I had those removed later by a doctor in my hometown (who commented he had never seen such a small and neat scar) and then 6 months later, I had a full head of hair and was ecstatic. I have never taken propecia as I just don't really feel comfortable messing with my natural hormones. Just a personal choice and maybe had I read more about propecia sooner before losing so much hair, I would have made a different choice. But I haven't taken it and don't plan to. I used Rogaine for a while but quit as it was a pain. I did lose some hair after quitting though but by that time, it was pretty bad anyway. My two hair transplants pretty much changed my life. I have been really happy with the results for the past decade. In recent years, I started to lose a little more hair from my crown and along my part (propecia likely would have helped that, I admit). So I pulled the trigger again and went back and talked to Dr. Konior. He suggested 1500 FUE grafts this time and I think when it was all done, he got around 1600. I was fortunate in that my wait time was only several months. I think he must have fit me in a cancellation slot. Anyway, the FUE procedure was an absolute piece of cake. After the morning of consult and planning, I took a valium, laid down on the chair, felt a few minor anesthesia pricks (although the valium pretty much sent me into orbit) and then woke a few hours later to take a bathroom break. Another valium, back in the chair, a few minor pricks, woke around lunchtime to eat a provided sandwich. Last valium, back in the chair, felt/heard a few of the incisions being made (no pain at all) before snoozing. Woke at 5 pm and was told everything went very smoothly and I'm all done. It literally felt like a 5 minute day. Not to Dr. K and his great staff, I'm sure. I had no pain afterwards. None. Dr. K.'s very nice receptionist, Lisa, drove me to my local hotel and I ate dinner and promptly fell asleep for the night. Did I mention no pain? (and no pain medicine). I woke up the next morning and had a little trickle of blood on my head. I drove into Dr. K's office for my cleaning and they figured I knocked a graft slightly out while sleeping, causing the bleeding. They put it back in, cleaned me up and off I drove 2.5 hours home feeling great. The only downside to this procedure was that they had to shave my head down to more easily access my donor grafts and more easily place them where they belong. That was kind of a bummer because damn, my hair was looking pretty good aside from that bald spot in back (which I could easily cover with fibers). I gotta say, my potato head does not look all that good bald. Not terrible but not great. But its the price I have to pay. At home, I'm spraying the recipient sites but man, I have almost no scabs and the work is so clean I have a hard time finding it on my head. Fortunately I can work at home this week and with the CORONA virus stuff going on, that may extend into the next several weeks, at which time, my hair should be grown in a lot more and looking more normal. I may have to interact with folks though and they'll see my shaved head and my FUT scar so instead of trying to be sneaky and stealth about all this, I may just come clean. I'm much less concerned about what people think these days and hell, when it grows in, it looks damn good! So what's to be embarrassed about? Alright, that's long enough. Hope I haven't bored you to tears. So grateful for the amazing immaculate work of Dr. Konior and the great interactions with is great staff. I'm a fan for sure. Also grateful for all of you who share your stories, experiences, fears and hopes. I wish you all the best on your journeys. I'll update my blog when I get pre-op, immediate post-op and results photos. In the meantime, everyone be safe and careful out there. We're in new territory with this COVID 19 stuff.
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Wanted to do a short post of a short research I did while looking for a doctor to do my FUE procedure. I have been only considering FUE because I only need about 1,700 graph and I do not want the linear scar. For me price/location is not an issue. As all of you I just want the best. Therefore I reached out to: H&W, Lupanzula, Konior, Bernstein, Lorenzo All of them were very easy to communicate with, normally within 24 hours. I understand technicians will be assisting doctors during the procedure, so I wanted to learn the actual involvement of the doctor vs. the technician. The price of some of these doctors is very high, so I wanted to understand if I am paying a premium for the doctors procedure how much time will the doctor be involved in the procedure itself. Out of the three steps - Extract Graft (EG), Make Graft Openings (MGO), Place Graft (PG) this is what I found: H&W - Doctor (MGO) - Technicians (EG) (PG) Lorenzo - vague answer "technicians will assist through out entire process, he will do what he thinks is fundamental on each patient" Bernstein - Doctor (EG, MGO) - Technicians (PG) Lupanzula - Doctor (EG,MGO) - Technicians (PG) Konior - Doctor (EG, MGO, PG) With the exception of H&W (only one out of hundreds of great reviews) I haven't been able to find a bad review/feedback from any of these doctors, so I understand their process yield great results. However, if you ask me If I would prefer, Dr. Konior or Dr. Lupanzula to extract the grafts vs. a technician in another great clinic, I will prefer the actual doctors. For that simple reason I decided to not move forward with H&W and Lorenzo. For Bernstein, I haven' t found a bad review but in comparison to the other doctors there are very few reviews available. They only due the FUE with ARTAS. There are some bad reviews about ARTAS damaging donor area, or having issues. None of those reviews were patients of Bernstein, but it make me less comfortable. For that reason I am currently only considering Lupanzula and Konior. Following my same logic if you ask me who do I prefer to place the graft Konior or Lupanzula technician, I will say Konior. However, I am still indecisive because most of the reviews and results I found for Konior are for FUT while for Lupanzula are for FUE. Overall I know I can't go wrong with any of them. I wanted to share this post I think the involvement of the Doctors during the procedure is important factor to understand, at least it was for me. It also gives you a better perspective when it comes to pricing. For example Konior can be twice as expensive as other top doctors, however, it seems he can dedicate more than twice the time so the price becomes relative. He does one procedure a day while other's do multiple, so it makes sense he charges more. If you have this information of the involvement of procedure by top doctors, it will be great if you can share here.
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Hi Everyone - I've been lurking this super helpful forum of ours for the past 1+ years and I thought it's about time I start contributing back. Background After extensive lurking I reached the conclusion that Dr. Konior had the most respect and was regularly being praised as the top doctor in this field so I decided to go with him. I had a few email exchanges with Dr. Konior and after looking at my pictures and hair loss he recommended I needed around 3,000 grafts in the frontal region but if I wanted a more conservative approach I should get 2,000. I liked Dr. Konior's email response time and he answered my questions really well so I went ahead and booked my appointment with his office in June of 2017 as he's booked out a year in advance. I think now it's more like 1.5 years. Pre-Op Pictures All pictures in the maroon shirt are a month before the surgery. Day of Procedure I flew into Chicago with my brother the day before the procedure and we were at Dr. K's office at 6:30AM the day after. I do believe it's super helpful to have someone that can help you during the first few days. All these people that say that it doesn't hurt, it's not a big deal, and you can be back to work within a few days are full of it. The reality from my standpoint is that yes, the procedure itself doesn't really hurt since you're drugged and numbed up but you know and can feel you had something serious done right after. So expect a certain level of pain and give yourselves a week or two for the initial recovery. Anyhow, once I got to Dr. K's office I started getting a bit of cold feet because while I was waiting I was flipping through his published book and the pictures can be quite scary. And all those questions whether this is worth it started going through my mind. And when Dr. Konior came in I started asking him some basic questions again and I don't think he really liked that lol. In his mind all of that should've already been answered in our emails and today was not a consultation it was the day of the procedure, which I agree with him on. So after a little bit of light humor (he has a dry sense of humor which I really enjoy) and examples from Dr. K I was a bit more at ease and I said let's do this thing. After his main tech trimmed the front portion of my head and showed me my scalp in a mirror I was in complete shock. I had no idea how bald I truly was. Dr. K actually did say he was surprised how much volume I was getting with my hair. So this also made me feel better that I was making the right decision. After this, Dr. K asked me where I would want my hairline and I sort of showed him and he said that it would be way too low and require too many grafts. He then drew a hairline which he said wasn't too aggressive and wasn't too conservative either. So I said you're the expert, I'm willing to do whatever you want. So I agreed to the hairline and then he spent around 15 mins or so perfecting the hairline and taking pictures. Once that was done, I was given a valium and taken to the OR. By the time they started numbing my head I think I had already fallen asleep. I would wake up a few times for bathroom breaks and a granola bar but other than that I believe Dr. K and his tech knocked the procedure out. I do believe Dr. K does all the placement and hard work. I had asked him this before the procedure and he said he does all the placements and I have no reason to doubt that as every time I woke up I could hear him behind me. Post Op Dr. K placed 2,177 total grafts. He charged me the initially quoted price for 2,000 grafts so I appreciated that about him. Graft numbers: 1's - 675 ; 2's - 1364; 3's - 138 = 2177 I'm gonna quit rambling and start posting some pictures. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
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Hi guys, First off, I would like to thank you all sincerely for all your help throughout my hair lost journey. I have been lurking theses forums for the past 10 years and your story where helpful and guide me to Dr. Konior who I have the upmost respect and admiration. I have been struggling with my hair lost since i was 20 years old and now at 40 it was the time to take action. I was schedule for a 3000 FUT grafts procedure and it end it up with with 3423. Theses are my grafts details : 1 = 299 - 2 = 1976 - 3 = 1148. Got at the office at 6:30 am and was welcome by Lisa who was very kind and thoughtful. We got the paperwork done and Dr. Konior came to see me. We chat a bit, I had a few questions for him and told him that my main goal has to have a thick hairline .Afterword we started drawing a hairline that he taught would suit me well. The hairline was perfect and didn't want to change anything to it. Theses are a few pictures before my hair transplant , this will give you a idea of my hair lost : This one is when my hair is style : The operation went perfectly, I had didn't feel any pain and the procedure was done around 8:30 pm. I was truly amaze by Dr. Konior works and perfectionism, He is truly skill and a great surgeon. Theses are a few pictures of me Post-Opt, sorry I know the lighting isn't that great : I was very happy with the outcome and will cross my figures that with this surgery I will be able to get the hairline at a density that suit my expectations. Thanks again guys for everything, you have inspire me to move forward with the surgery in despite of my fears. -
Background I'm currently 35 and started losing hair around 10 years ago. By the time I was 29, it was pretty noticeable. Its funny how things change. When I look at my pictures at 22, my hair looks as big as my head. So, In around 10 years, my hair loss went from a 0 to NW5A. So did my confidence, but towards 0. HT Research A couple of years ago, I checked out a chain clinic, but the price was prohibitive at that time. I was lucky I didn't proceed with them. Last year, I decided to give HT some more serious thought as I was in a better position financially than in the past. I luckily found this forum. After some initial research, I went on to do a couple of consultations locally. I would have made mistakes as I didn't know enough to make a wise decision at that point, like any newbie. I just wanted hair and was very interested in getting something done locally. Luckily some good people in this forum provided the guidance I needed. Forum and people This forum is a life saver and so are a few people who are dedicated to helping others. I particularly want to thank "Spanker" for guiding and mentoring me. Without him, I would definitely have made mistakes. God bless him for being who he is and I hope he gets to keep all his amazing hair forever And without this forum, nothing would have been possible. So thank you to the people who maintain it. For people who think there are advertising/marketing here, yes, you cannot avoid/control it just like in any other forum. There will be good and bad in everything. It is up to you to do the required research, contact people via PM and recognize who is who based on their previous posts/activities. I suggest you spent a lot of hours as this is a life changing decision. I probably have spent 6 months' worth person hours on HT and it was all worth it at the end. Doctor selection I have had 3 in person consultations and numerous online consultations with a lot of well known doctors. With the help of this forum and members, I grew wiser with each experience and had a good idea of what I should expect from HT and what I will need. Now it was down to picking from the very best. One thing, as everyone says, do not let money or travel be a factor in your decision. HT is not a joke. As someone who went through it recently, I can tell you that you better take it very seriously otherwise A) you wont meet your expectations which can be even more depressing B) you could potentially damage yourself C) Its not just getting HT from the best of doctors, Post OP instructions are as important too. So read as much as you can, compare post op instructions from the best doctors and do everything right. Some small things like exposing to sunburns can make or break your HT. Dr. Konior - doubts What can I say. Any patient of his just sounds thrilled, too thrilled. I was skeptical initially. I have come across occasional sub par results from pretty much every surgeon but not him. Initially I was wondering how this is possible. There has to be someone, because if someone gets a bad result, thats when they come online and write about it. I tried and tried to find anything, but found none. Talked to his patients and everyone seemed to be very happy. Of course, it is not possible to talk to everyone of them and most of his patients do not post either. But i'm sure if someone got a bad result, they would post. So I came to this conclusion. Either he meets/sets everyone's expectations correctly, or he takes care of any problems that they may have. After my experience, i believe it is the former. Also initially I was skeptical about someone's ability to place all the grafts by himself. But after seeing him in person, I have no doubts he can probably complete a triathlon pretty easily. . Dr. Konior - Final opinion One word - Yes, they were right. He is really really good. I didn't go for a consultation in person, went straight for the surgery. After my many consultations, I knew what to expect and after my research, I was comfortable with my decision about him. In my consultation before the surgery, he pretty much said everything the way I wanted it to be done. I really didn't have to change or discuss much. Then I knew I had made the right decision. His surgery was smooth, scalp was extremely clean compared to the pics that I had seen online. I don't know what he does, but it was so clean in a day and scabbing was very minimal. My recipient area was just perfect in placement and coverage based on my permissible donor. Also, I don't believe anyone can match his patience and response time to your questions, both pre and post OP. In fact, i'm amazed that how detail and prompt his responses are. He makes you feel you are his only patient. There is no nonsense about him, very professional. Surgery I'm not going to too much detail as many people have already described this to the T. All HT surgeries go pretty much the same way. You take pain killers/valium and some sleep, some don't. Dr. Konior said he wanted me to be pretty still and I guess I was since he said I was a good patient at the end. I barely remember anything about the surgery as I was half asleep, kind of like in a dream. I only took one break for lunch. Surgery is the easiest part of the HT process, trust me. That should be your least concern and no, it is not painful. Dr. Konior was able to do 3525 grafts for me. My donor density is not all that great. He did the best that is possible which I don't think can be bettered. I honestly don't think anywhere else I would have got the same numbers and placement that he did. Again, it is just not about density, it is about what works for me. He put around 3000 grafts in my hairline and frontal third and around 500 towards the crown to make it appear as thinning. I'm happy with what I got, now yield is another story. I can't speak for it yet, but based on what I see so far, i'm happy. I'm also Asian, so my hair caliber is probably different and hence the distribution too. Post Surgery Initially I was very nervous. This was the most worrysome part for me about HT. What if I can't follow post op instructions correctly, what if I make a mistake etc. I have an advice for future HTers. Its really not a big deal. If I did good (i'm very paranoid), so will you. There is not all that much to do to be honest. The least you do, the better. Even if you make a mistake, you will survive. Just be careful with the recipient area. I took two weeks off and only time I wore a hat was one time on the forth day for half an hour. I didn't even wear a hat back to the hotel. If you choose to wear a hat, be careful to wear one thats loose. I didn't understand the concept of icing. I only applied it for like 2 minutes at a time. I don't have much experience with injuries/doctors (thank god) for last 15 years or so. Since I didn't ice correctly, I got some swelling, but it will pass. Donor area was painful for me post op. For some it is, for some it is not. It also doesnt help that I stopped all pain medications after day 4. Also, know that the scar will take at least a month to heal. I'm writing all this for future HTers. If you already have had one, you know. Since my scar was so tender, i was very worried about removing the sutures. I got my staples out the forth day as I had to go back home. That was painful but not too bad. Good thing is it is over in less than 10 minutes. Now back to sutures. I was expecting the worst for it and was really scared. But it was under 10 minutes or so and wasn't as bad as I thought. If you are in the DC area, i recommend going to the Patient First in Sterling, VA. Only cost me $15 and 30 minutes, and a doctor does it. And that place is just too good, for other things too. 5 stars from me and thats difficult to get. Post HT impressions Its been a month at the time of this writing. I'm very happy with my doctor and his office. Also, forgot to mention Lisa and Tom. Both really good in what they do and good human beings who care for you. I'm wearing a hat to work after 2 weeks of staying home. I am not comfortable exposing myself in this condition. Some people are, and some are not. Luckily i can wear a hat to work. I have cut my hair really short to make it even with the ht area. Even though I was an NW5, I was doing a massive comb over to hide all that. You can see that in my first pic. This is from just a couple of weeks before the surgery. Hopefully in a couple of months I see growth and can go without hat. It is safe to wear a hat after 2 weeks. I'm not on prepecia or rogaine. I am just not comfortable with the sides of propecia and not sure if rogaine will help or hurt me. Have read too many conflicting opinions on it. In any case, if the transplanted hairs grow well, i'm much much better off than what I was before. I am not hair greedy, i'm hair needy . In a way, i may not be doing 100% justice to Dr. Konior's work as I would probably have gotten a stellar result with them, than without them. But i'm hoping it is still going to be good. Expectations I haven't lost any graft and have been very careful in every aspect post HT. So I hope I get good yield. i'm happy with my placement and will be ecstatic if I get growth for what I got. Keep an eye on my hair journey! Advice HT is not a joke. It is a REAL surgery. For some, it doesn't sink in until you get one, like me. Be prepared to spend a month being uncomfortable, painful (if you take medications, you will be better off) and worried for a while until the growth happens. Do your research. You probably won't go wrong with any of the top 5 doctors. I don't want to name anyone as it varies for people. All I can say is based on my experience, Dr. Konior is top notch and up there. You won't go wrong with him. I don't think he gets enough credit as most of his patients do not post as much. I have no idea why. Just wanted to post a helpful link from Spex. It summarizes things pretty well for newbies. http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/145591-hair-transplant-tips-info.html I'll be posting my progress pictures soon. I also want to give back to the community as others have done for me. -
Dr. Couto is one of the best the world along with Dr. Konior but they both have a 2 year wait list. Eugenix (1.8€ to 3.6€/graft for surgeries with the doctor present) is getting great results with high norwood patients and they can do 7000 grafts in one surgery unlike other Doctors you were advised. Stay clear from ASMED because their results have not been good and several forum members are complaining of serious unethical treatment post surgery. A patient wrote here at HRN that Asmed told him he would have to speak with their lawyers if he wanted to discuss any further about his overharvesting. I don’t understand how people can recommend this clinic. Other great options for FUE are Dr. Bruno Ferreira (2.5€/graft) and HLC Ankara (2.7€/graft and doing high amounts of beard grafts in one day). If you want to do FUT then talk to Feriduni, Hasson&Wong and Rahal. -
3rd Time with Dr. Konior
Tao replied to Tao's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Thank you. I stumbled across Dr. Konior after coming to this site many years ago. Fortunately, he is the closest to me. He didn't quite have the rock star reputation yet when I started. I had lucky timing with him all three sessions. Cheers. -
If money is no issue, there’s no reason to travel. Hasson and Wong, Dr. Konior, Dr. Cooley, Dr. Gabel, would be good. If you’re only interested in FUE, you’ll need a clinic with experience with norwood 5+. I’d consider Eugenix. I’ve heard Cuoto has a 2 year wait. Now, maybe that’s changed with the coronavirus situation. Idk. -
FUE Doctors Involvement vs. Technicians
Melvin-Moderator replied to Zizou88's topic in Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Yes, I believe Dr. Konior assists in placing grafts, just like Dr. Gabel, but his technician helps as well. He definitely doesn’t do the entire procedure himself. To the point, I would prefer a surgeon to concentrate his focus and energy on what’s important. Placing grafts doesn’t take any particular surgical skill, and an experienced technician can do this without any problems. I’d rather that, then a fatigued surgeon, who has to limit the grafts, because he’s doing everything on his own. -
FUE Doctors Involvement vs. Technicians
PupDaddy replied to Zizou88's topic in Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Just as clarifying info to Zizou88's post, my understanding is that Dr. Konior is assisted in PG (placing grafts) by (at least) his lead technician. In other words, he is "involved" in that stage of the FUE procedure as well but his technician(s) also place(s) grafts in the recipient sites (which he makes). At least that is my understanding. -
@Gasthoerer I totally agree that DHI may not be for everyone because some people are actually better suited for FUT but I can’t see advantage of pre-made slits versus stick&place. Pre-made slits start to close immediately after being opened and accumulate fat&blood this means the hole/slit has to be wider than doing the surgery with stick&place that also uses the same blade but it’s 1 slit opened and 1 graft inserted at a time thus reducing the size of the hole/slit. This is why Dr. Raymond Konior one of the best in the world does stick&place. For DHI like you told me, it’s the best and the only technique I would chose for a HT without shaving.
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What are you doing during quarantine
Tao replied to Melvin-Moderator's topic in Open Hair Loss Topics
I posted one titled: 3rd Time with Dr. Konior -
What are you doing during quarantine
Tao replied to Melvin-Moderator's topic in Open Hair Loss Topics
Konior. First FUE after two previous FUTs. FUE was much much easier recovery (no pain and no meds whatsoever needed after surgery). That's the good. The bad is the need for having my head to be shaved. When Dr. Konior did my first two FUT surgeries, the recovery and pain was longer and I had metal staples in my head for awhile. However, they were all covered up with existing hair and after a week, no one could ever tell I ever had anything done. Not really the case now. But the timing is good for sure and I'm definitely not complaining. -
What are your goals? You should start your own thread. Do you need a mega session with BHT? Do you need just the hairline done? Also, there’s a distinction between the cheapest and the best. In many regards, Dr. Konior, Hasson and Wong, Dr. Gabel, Dr. Rahal, etc, are considered the best, but obviously they will be more expensive. Dr. Keser, doesn’t use microscopes and a member here complained of multiples in his hairline. For that reason alone, I’d strike him off the list. Dr. Ferreira is good, solid, but I personally don’t think he matches up to the other names I mentioned, at least not yet. That said, I can see him becoming one of the top in due time. He still needs more patient reviews, he’s getting there though. So again, I would suggest posting a separate thread and include your goals, hair loss pictures and we’ll be better to answer your question. There are better surgeons for certain scenarios.
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Dr. Konior - 3423 FUT Grafts - July 2019
vinzaf19 replied to Yolando's topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
Wow! 😯 Those results look awesome! Good choice going with Dr. Konior, I’ve heard he’s one of the best Drs around! -
Hey everyone, I'm about two days out from my ~2300 graft FUT procedure with Dr. Konior. As often happens with Konior, he initially quoted me 1500 grafts but wound up going all the way up to 2300 to pack everything in more densely. It was one of the smoothest and most painless medical experiences of my life, and the whole thing took about 12 hours. I'd take a hair transplant over getting cavities filled at the dentist any day. I'd like to start by thanking the past Konior patients who have documented their procedures so thoroughly. Spanker, Reyes1, SamSpade, and the various Matts (among others) posted incredibly detailed threads that helped make my choice of surgeon very easy. I hope that I can continue in their tradition with another well documented write-up. Pre Surgery I was 28 and probably a NW2.5 or 3 prior to this surgery, and my main goal was to restore my receded hairline and fill in the temples. I've been on finasteride and minoxidil for several years and they've definitely slowed things down, but there are a few spots that have slowly continued to thin (including in back...but it looks worse in one of the below photos than it really is). I plan to continue both meds for the rest of my life, and will likely have additional "tune up" surgeries down the line to maintain what I have. Dr. Konior actually suggested a low dose pill version of minoxidil for those who find the application of Rogaine to be tedious (I only apply the foam once per night because it's such a pain in the ass). I spent months reading about hair transplants and researching doctors until I finally narrowed it down to Konior, Rahal, and Hasson (I had already decided to stay within North America). There's no question that all three are hairline masters, but there were a few things that stood out about Konior that steered me in his direction: 1. His relative conservatism and focus on long term strategy would be a great check on my own desire to be as aggressive as possible. 2. If you look at his cases, it's pretty clear that he is often able to do with 1500 grafts what most surgeons need 2500 or even 3000 grafts to achieve. Konior's ability to make every graft count really speaks to his artistry and perfectionism, which is of course another big advantage for young patients like me who need to use every single graft very judiciously. 3. He performs one surgery a day and as others have pointed out, does virtually the entire surgery himself -- donor extraction, lateral slit incisions, and graft placement. I do think one or two of his techs placed some of the grafts, but he supervised them meticulously and I overheard him tweaking anything that didn't look perfect. This isn't to say that technician-heavy clinics are inherently flawed -- many techs at other clinics have years of experience and are truly skilled workers -- but ultimately, I felt that a tech-heavy approach would add another level of risk that I'd prefer to do without. 4. Konior's year long wait list and relatively high price speak volumes, especially since he does minimal marketing and is pretty selective when taking on new patients. These things may seem like "cons" at first glance, but over time I came to see them as major "pros." A hair transplant is something that will affect your appearance for the rest of your life, and I knew that 10, 20, or 30 years from now I'd care a lot more about having picked the right hairline than saving a few thousand dollars. More often than not, you get what you pay for -- and plastic surgery is not an industry where you want to look for a bargain. 5. Konior's immediate post op photos have a really clean and distinctive look, with very little blood compared to most other surgeons' graft zones after surgery. I've always found it very satisfying to look at his post op photos and notice the precision of the graft angles and placement. The Surgery One thing that isn't often discussed on here is the feeling of oh shit that kicks in as your surgery date approaches. As soon as I realized my surgery was a month away, the reality of the situation hit me hard: was I seriously about to fly to Chicago and undergo surgery just to give myself better hair? Eventually the excitement started to outweigh the fear, but it was for sure an emotional rollercoaster until I finally arrived at Konior's office at 6:30 AM. Once I checked in with the doctor's staff, I finished my paperwork and wrote down my lunch order. Everyone was very kind and conscientious, and at around 7 the doctor came in to discuss the surgical plan. As Dr. Konior and I settled into our initial conversation, I immediately felt my anxiety begin to fade. He really took his time to discuss his hair loss philosophy, crack a few jokes, and field a few questions that I had. He seemed totally relaxed and in no hurry to push things along, and by the time we moved on to drawing the hairline I felt totally at ease. Helping a patient feel comfortable during that first meeting is a genuine, underrated skill and it really helped to set the tone for the entire day. He then had me draw my version of a hairline -- I wanted it lowered just a bit with my temples filled in, and I asked him to pack it as "densely as he thought would be ethical". Konior took one look at the hairline I drew and said something like, "yep, I know what you want" as though he'd seen it a million times before. He then spent about 45 minutes drawing his own version of the hairline, erasing and re-drawing parts of it over and over again until he thought it was perfect. He took pictures from several different angles while doing so, and every now and then he'd pause to stare at my hairline the way a painter looks at his work while trying to get those last brush strokes just right. It was easy to see how Konior's artistry and surgical precision are a super effective combination. When the doctor handed me a mirror to look at his proposed hairline, I was ecstatic (the hairline he drew is visible in the pics I've attached). I had worried that he'd push for something more conservative, but what he drew turned out to be pretty much exactly what I'd hoped for. So I basically told him I wouldn't change a thing and the process continued. I felt even more relief when I learned that he would only have to shave a small portion of my existing hair to create the new hairline. I've seen a lot of Konior cases where patients went for the full shave, and I really hoped I wouldn't have to go down that route and thus experience a much longer "ugly duckling" phase. When he wound up just shaving a few useless miniaturized hairs in front, I felt pretty confident that in another week or two I'd be able to cover up the work without wearing a hat. As someone who wanted to get back to work and my social life as soon as possible, this was a HUGE weight off my shoulders. With my last major fear assuaged, I was genuinely excited to get started. They gave me some valium and had me lay face down while the doctor got ready to remove the strip. I have a pretty low pain tolerance and a very strong fear of needles, but I have to say that the numbing shots were the least painful shots I have ever experienced. They used some sort of vibrating device on my skin next to the injections, which made the actual shots feel like nothing. I barely noticed when the strip actually came out, and then they gave me a bathroom break and got ready to start the incisions. I was given more valium throughout the day and for the most part I felt restful but awake. I dozed off a couple times and woke back up mid-snore, but for the most part I just chilled out and focused on staying perfectly still while Konior and his techs did their thing. Occasionally I'd feel some soreness in back and they'd have to re-numb me -- the re-numbing shots were actually a little more painful, but that's probably because I waited too long to ask for them (the doctor was really in the zone so I was hesitant to interrupt). As mentioned earlier, he did have two techs present during graft placement but I'm pretty sure he placed most of them himself while the techs would pass him the grafts that had been dissected. It definitely sounded like he placed the most important grafts himself, such as the 1s along the hairline. At around 6:30 PM, the surgery was finally complete. Konior and his team put in roughly a 12 hour day in total: 2 hours of conversation and planning the hairline, followed by 10 hours of performing the surgery itself. Compared to what I was expecting, the entire day felt like a series of best case scenarios -- I got exactly the hairline I wanted, felt close to no pain whatsoever, and was able to keep enough existing hair to (hopefully) cover up the procedure after another week or two. Konior's staff was nice enough to give me a ride to the Comfort Suites that evening, which I really appreciated because I was not looking forward to interacting with strangers in my post surgical state. In fact, I didn't end up having to interact with anyone -- the Comfort Suites have a back entrance you can open with your room key, and my room was right next to the back door. So yet another small anxiety was eliminated. I don't think I could have asked for a better experience. Immediate post op pics are below (I circled a small mole in the final pic for added perspective): -
@scottmac910 I have to be honest with you and tell you that your list is full of low cost hairmills. The only option on your list that is not a hairmill and has good results from real patients (on the Turkish forum) are the two nurses Esma&Serkan Tetik but they are not Doctors they are nurses implanting with DHI technique in a rented operating room at a local hospital. Turkish minimum wage is 200 bucks per month so they can`t really afford the elite surgeons like HLC, Pekiner or Keser and end up haviong to go to good Nurses like E&S or take the risk at a local hairmill. If you want a low cost option go to Dr. Arika at Eugenix (1.8€/graft) as they have a world class technique "DHT" in which the grafts are extracted and immediatly implanted into pre-made holes/slits. If you can afford to spend a bit more money go to Dr. Bruno Ferreira (2.5€/graft) he uses DHI like E&S and operates on just 1 patient per day. Dr. Demirsoy is the cheapest at 1.25€/graft and also operates on just 1 patient per day but he also does pre-made hole/slits and then has techs implant the grafts. Therefore, he can implant up to 4000 grafts in one day while Dr. Bruno is limited to 2000 grafts per day due to a more precise technique DHI. I’m not found of pre-made slits because once the hole is opened it starts closing and accumulating blood and fat meaning that the holes have to be bigger if they are staying open for hours while the techs and doctor implant 4000 grafts. The bigger the hole/slit and the more difficult the recovery and less chance of a great result. It´s for this reason that a FUE Icon like Dr. Konior uses stick&place and the FUE genious Dr. Juan Couto uses DHI. I urge to go with one of these 3 great and affordable Doctors (with a preference for Dr. Bruno) rather than your list of low cost hairmills.
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Hey all: This forum helped me pick out Dr. K and man, am I grateful for that. In short, about 7 years ago I did about 4400 graphs FUT; you can see the before after here (posted on this forum). Needless to say, it was life changing. I've been on Propecia + Rogaine Foam since I got the procedure. My crown has since thinned out. XFusion (like Toppik, but way better imo) does wonders to cover this spot, BUT, I'm really sick of using so much. It started off with a dash or two, but crown has since gotten thinner and thinner and thus I'm using more and more. I'm tired of using so much and being beholden to it. So I'm getting my second procedure, but wanted to see what others thought. Ideally, I can just do FUE and then use beard to cover FUT scar. Best case I get about 1500 graphs FUE. Worst case I get 1,000. If I do FUE + FUT, I can probably do 2800 - 3000 graphs, but I'm nearly certain my donor area will be exhausted, and I don't want that. I want to keep something in my back pocket as I age. I am currently 36. I see him in about a week and my procedure likely won't be done for another 11 months. Aside, I believe Dr. K's talents are worth the wait. Plan: My plan is to reinforce the front with some more density and then cover up the top of my head while adding some at the very bottom of my crown, which is where I'm pretty much bald. The thinking is I could cover up that bald spot really easy with XFusion, but only using a small amount (I don't mind if it shows it's thinning there, just a touch to make it less noticeable. After all, I am 36 and only getting older, so I'm OK w/ that). Below are pics I just took. They were taken with an iPhone 8 and are between 5-8mb.They were taken in a brightly lit bathroom not directly under powerful bathroom lights, but pretty much almost directly under them. I am not using concelear in these photos. If people have some expertise, please share thoughts. Thanks. -
Long Time Member - Looking For Expert Advice
Portugal25 replied to Ryan73's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
@Ryan73 assuming you need 2500 grafts your budget per graft 2$-2.8$ won’t be enough the for best Doctors in the US, Canada, Spain or Belgium. However, nowadays you can in fact get elite level surgeons for that price in Portugal, India and Turkey. @Dr. Bruno Ferreira (2.5€/graft) because he works in Madrid with one of the best Doctors in the world - Dr. Jose Lorenzo - treating tuff cases with DUPA and achieving amazing results. Dr. Bruno has his own clinic in Portugal at 2.5€/graft instead of 5€/graft charged in Madrid. He uses a technique called DHI which means the he implants using Lion Implantor Pens, nurses will charge the pens with grafts and these pens allow the Doctor to open the hole/slit and implant the graft at the same time. holes/slits once made start closing and accumulating blood or fat so this technique allows the doctor to make smaller holes/slits with higher survival rate and the patient has a quicker recovery. Dr. Arika at Eugenix India (1.8€/grafts with tax) because they are considered the best for mega sessions and have their technique called DHT in which they extract the graft and immediately implant them into pre-made holes/slits to get higher survival rate because the grafts stays out of body for less time. HLC Ankara (2.7€/graft) and Dr. Pekiner (2.25€/graft) because they both use a technique called stick&place (also used by the FUE icon Dr. Konior) in which the holes/slits are manually made and then the graft is immediately implanted manually (similar to DHI but without implantor pens). Both Dr. Bruno and Dr. Arika also have experience with beard grafts but HLC and Pekiner are doing 1800 beard grafts in one day for a while so I found them a better option for those that require a lot of beard grafts. Wish you all the best with your research and let us know the diagnosis you get from these top Doctors. -
Has anyone gotten FUT and then opted for FUE to plant into the scar and it looks good/can cut much shorter? Do any cases come to mind? I know Dr. Konior posted a result on someone recently.
